Dudes, let's ride

Colorado ranches turn city slickers into cowpokes

Non Chicago Parent Author

8/31/09 2:41 PM

Kid-tested travel
There is horseback riding, Midwest style. And then there is
horseback riding, dude ranch style.

In the Midwest, horseback riding generally consists of climbing
on a horse, getting a few minutes' instruction in how to make the
horse go, stop and turn. Experienced riders know it doesn't matter;
the horses are in charge. They'll be walking the same path they
have walked hundreds of times, following the horse in front, nose
to tail.

Dude ranch riding is different. Here, lessons are more involved
and more important. That's because you could end up cantering
through a field or climbing a hill and you'll want to be able to do
more than just hang on.

Fortunately, dude ranches are all about learning to ride. They
cater to everyone from rookies (me) to more experienced riders (my
daughter, Tess, then 10) to seriously accomplished riders.

Like many girls, Tess is a horse lover. So we headed to Grand
County, Colo., last summer to check out two dude ranches, Drowsy
Water Ranch and Aspen Canyon Ranch. I hoped the trip would give me
a chance to get in touch with my inner cowgirl. It did.

We arrived on a Sunday afternoon at the Drowsy Water Ranch, a
rustic spot nestled in a valley alongside the Arapahoe National
Forest. From the moment owner Randy Sue Fosha, decked out in
gingham skirt and cowboy boots, greeted us with "Howdy," we felt at
home.

Teaching is key

Jeans and boots are the wardrobe of choice at any dude ranch.
It's great for kids-no TV, lots of fresh air and outdoor activity,
plenty of other kids to play with and, of course, horses to groom,
saddle, feed and ride.

The week starts in the corral, with a wrangler who pairs riders
and horses and doesn't let anyone out of the gate until the rider,
regardless of age, can demonstrate an ability to control the
horse.

We spent two days at Drowsy Water and two more at Aspen Canyon,
a less rustic ranch. Both ranches offered the expert riding lessons
and down-home hospitality I had expected from a dude ranch. Our
only disappointment was the lack of a pool at Aspen Canyon.

Weekly rates at Aspen Canyon are $1,600 for adults; $1,100 ages
7-16; $850 ages 3-6 and free for 2 and under. Weekly rates at
Drowsy Water are $1,655 adults; $1,470 ages 14-17; $1,290 ages 6-13
and $605 ages 5 and under. Youngest children get pony rides around
the ranch, no trail rides. Most of the ranches offer other
activities, too. We loved the Colorado River white water rafting
trip run by Mad Adventures.

Getting there

We flew Frontier Airlines from Midway into Denver, our first
flight with Frontier. It was one of the best flying experiences we
have had, and at the best price to boot. The flight took off on
time, landed early and the plane offered individual television
screens with some free programming and pay-per-view movies
(including family films) at $8 a pop, payable by swiping your
credit card.

From Denver, we hopped on the Home James shuttle to Granby,
Colo. Both Drowsy Water and Aspen Canyon will send a driver to pick
you up from there for free. However, round-trip shuttle charges are
$108, ages 12 and up, $68, 11 and under, so it might be cheaper to
rent a car.

Choosing the right ranch
Plug "dude ranch" into Google and you get 1.22 million results for
ranches from Arizona to Montana, California to Georgia. So how do
you know which is right for your family?

Barry and Elena Lessin of Chicago have been going to dude
ranches for more than 15 years, since before they had kids and now
with Jakob, 8, Ava, 6, and the baby, Milly. They've learned a few
things along the way and offered these tips:

• Start by choosing the state you want to visit.

• Decide how much family togetherness you crave. Some ranches
have programs that keep kids occupied all day. Others ensure plenty
of family togetherness.

• Think about the food. Do you want gourmet dinners? Or cookouts
around the campfire?

• Decide whether your kids will be able to live without a
pool.

• Check out the kids' programs. Does the ranch have an age
limit? What happens to kids too young to ride the trails?

Cindy Richards is the travel editor of Chicago Parent and
the mom of Evan and Tess.